Topic: Barrels & Oak
Using Barrel Alternatives
Oak barrels aren’t the only way to add oak character to your homebrews. Two experts share their advice for getting the most from barrel alternatives such as spirals, staves, chips, and cubes.
Oak It Up
Barrel aging contributes to the complexity of many of the world’s most sought-after beers. We query four pros in charge of barrel programs of various sizes about creating barrel-aged beers. Each also offers us a clone recipe for one of their barrel-aged offerings.
Fauxlera Barrel Blends
Solera aging requires multiple barrels, with the ones on the bottom being drawn off occasionally and then topped up with beer from the barrels above and new beer being added to the mix at the top. It creates a multi-vintage blend from various batches. Since most hobbyists don’t have multiple barrels to dedicate for such a purpose, one homebrewer offers his is own approach — a fauxlera, if you will.
Barrel Aging: Nine tips to start your own program
Starting your own barrel-aging program can be a daunting task. But for those dedicated to the cause, Denver Beer Co.’s Andy Parker has nine tips to get you going.
Crafting Oak-Aged Cider
Take your hard ciders to the next level with oak-aging. Whether in a barrel or through oak alternatives, these ciders feature a depth of flavor and complexity otherwise unobtainable. Two ciderheads share their tips for oak aging.
Better Together: Club Barrel Shares
Maintaining a homebrew barrel program can be a lot of fun, but it is difficult by yourself if you want to use a full-size barrel. These are the perfect sizes for homebrew clubs, however. A New Jersey club shares how it successfully operates a two-barrel program for its members.
Wine Barrel Table: Give an old barrel a new life
If you ever come across a discarded barrel . . . here is a great use for it. Get step by step instructions to build a table from a used wine barrel.
Beyond Oak: Tips from the Pros
There are many woods beyond oak that can add complexity to beer. Two pros who know their way around these exotic flavors share their top tips. Wayne Wambles, Brewmaster at Cigar City
The Barrel Cradle: Keep your barrels from rolling
Oak barrels can be hugely rewarding . . . but they can come with a cost. Make sure you’re keeping your barrels stable and your back safe with this mobile barrel cradle and hoist system.
Beyond the Barrel
Barrel-aged beers are wonderful, but barrels are also expensive, time-consuming, and take up a lot of space. With the wide array of oak alternatives available, they are also unnecessary. Explore the alternatives to barrels.
Oak Alternatives for Beginners
Aging your homebrew in an oak barrel can add more dimensions to your beer by imparting complex wood characteristics such as vanilla, cloves, coconut, or caramel, but barrels are not ideal for
